ANCIENT ISRAEL: AN EXAMPLE FOR THE CHURCH

If there were ever a people who had the right to rebel against unjust authority, it would have been the Jewish people dwelling in the land of Israel two thousand years ago.  They could have opened the scriptures and said, “This is the land given to us by God!  These pagans have no right to be here!”  And indeed, the zealots of that time most surely took that view, and fought against Rome.  Why, then, did their Messiah not support their cause? 

In fact, Jesus taught:

“But I say unto you that ye resist not evil, but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with
him two.” (Matthew 5:39,41)

As many teachers have noted, these instructions are in direct reference to the unjust treatment of Rome against the Jewish people.  The second admonition had to do with a law that allowed Roman soldiers to force Jews to carry their backpacks up to one mile. 

Notice that the Lord did answer this with a diatribe on “human rights violations,” but gave instruction to do the exact opposite of what our flesh is inclined to do.  In other words, resist our rebellious and vengeful nature and yield ourselves to the character of Christ.  Just after this, Jesus said:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully
use you, and persecute you, that you may be the sons
of your Father who is in heaven …” (Matthew 5:43-44)

Did the revolutionary founders obey the Lord in these things?  Ask yourself, why is it that while they had certain declarations about God, and sometimes even about Jesus; they almost never quoted from the teachings of the Lord Himself?  In all of David Barton’s founding father quotes, there are no quotes from Jesus Himself, only a rare mention of His name.  Did they avoid His words because they knew in their hearts that their actions were contrary to His commands? 

The scripture warns us that “they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19) Though some of the founders said things like, “No king but King Jesus,” and made mention of “the Christian religion,” of what value are such declarations apart from obedience to Christ?  Jesus Himself said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say?” (Luke 6:46)  And elsewhere, He says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)  Is it a coincidence that the same founding fathers who did not obey Christ, also did not believe He was the Son of God?

Should Christians Take Back America?

The idea of “taking back” America is a concept running through conservative circles today, but the question is: take it back to what? Back to Jefferson the antichrist, or to Adams the blasphemer, or to Franklin the adulterer; or to the uncertain faith of Washington and his Great Architect of the Universe? 

To take the country back to our Christian foundation, we will have to go back to the Puritans, back to the Bible, change the Constitution, declare that men like Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Paine and the rest who shared their views were all antichrists whose beliefs can only be called “damnable heresies.”  We would need to tear down the pagan monuments that pollute our capital city, dismantle the Statue of Liberty with all its Babylonian symbolism.  We would have to tell men like Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich that their Mormon/Catholic New Age “universalist” beliefs are condemned by God, and if they do not repent and put faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation then they will be destroyed with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.  We would have to confront men like David Barton and Billy Graham, who mingle the Gospel with the spirit of antichrist, and have no fellowship with such men.  Are Christian pastors and teachers in America prepared to do this?  If not, ask yourself the question: is what you’re doing really the work of God?  Is it in obedience to the commandment of Christ who said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations … to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you …” (Matthew 28:19-20) Did Jesus command life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?  Or to deny self, take up the cross, be hated by the world, and follow Him?

As Spurgeon tells us, we should not seek for a crown of glory where our Lord only received a crown of thorns.

Conclusion

As the kingdom of Antichrist looms ever nearer, and many who can see the signs are wondering what to do, it is time to arm our selves with the true Word of God.  We should be as the sons of Issachar “which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).  And if we die for something, brethren, let it not be for the vain wisdom of man, not for “rights” which will belong to no man in eternity; but let our fight, our lives and our deaths be for the cause of the faith of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.


Comments

[Joseph McDonald]

Amen, Brother! I first became concerned about David Barton's influence when he helped promote Glenn Beck and his attempts to get all faiths to unite for the sake of liberty. Your DVD, The Hidden Faith of the Founding Fathers, showed me several other reasons not to follow men like David Barton. There is a BIG difference between defending the gospel of Jesus Christ and the idea of "religious liberty!" My biggest concern about him, other than the places where he misuses quotations from the Founders, is that he is willing to twist the Scriptures to attempt to justify his alliance with false teachers like Glenn Beck and Kenneth Copeland. I wouldn't dare to try to say that Moses, Joshua, and Elijah are good examples of a "free market" system of ideas in the Bible and being unafraid of false teachers! Elijah was on Mt. Carmel when the false prophets were, but he went there to confront them, not to lock arms with them in praise and worship! I've read on a few websites that David Barton went to college at Oral Roberts University. I don't know for sure if that's the case, but it would explain why he doesn't seem to be concerned about false doctrine or false teachers.